Mistrust and division are not new problems. They are woven into some of our oldest stories. Joseph saved Egypt from famine and showed them the power of a good and loving God. Later generations forgot him and his contributions. The new leaders of Egypt viewed the Israelites—Joseph’s people—not as partners. They saw them as a threat. They began to oppress and mistreat them, simply because they were different. This story illustrates the dangers of racism. It turns neighbors into enemies. It leads to brutal cycles of control and suffering.
It took a divine rescue from God Himself to free the Israelites. This ancient story carries a powerful message for us today. When we feel caught up in oppression or find ourselves reacting with hatred, our ultimate deliverance comes from the Lord. The most powerful response is not to add to the cycle of rioting. It is to turn to God in prayer. The call is to stay faithful. Be steadfast in love. Pray that all people, as much as possible, see the truth and be transformed.
This “us vs. them” mentality was everywhere. For a long time, the people of Israel saw no value in those outside their faith, the Gentiles. In turn, the surrounding pagan nations often hated them. The world was clearly divided.
But then, God rewrote history.
On the day of Pentecost, something changed forever. Jesus had told his followers to wait in Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit. When the Spirit finally came, the city was filled with people from many different tribes, races, and nations. Suddenly, a miracle happened. The disciples began to speak, and everyone—no matter their language—heard the message of God’s love in their own tongue.
They were shocked. But in that moment, God showed them something new. He was breaking down the walls that humans had built. On that day, 3,000 people from all those different backgrounds were baptized and joined together as one community.
This is the antidote to racism: a unified Body of Christ, empowered by the Holy Spirit.
This wasn’t just a one-time event; it was a new way of living. We witness this later. Churches in one part of the world, like Macedonia and Corinth, sent money. They helped believers they had never met in another area, like Jerusalem. This was love crossing cultural, racial, and economic lines.
The entire Bible, from beginning to end, is a book of love. It begs the question: how can we say we obey God but still hate our neighbor? If our actions—our hidden biases or our open prejudices—deny the love we preach, it’s time to repent and change.
This love has to start inside our own hearts. A community can’t bring a message of love to the rest of the world if it is divided internally. Internal divisions include its own factions and prejudices. God commands us to love one another, and this love is the fuel for our mission to the world.
We can’t be like the prophet Jonah, who was stubborn and hated the very people God sent him to help. You can’t effectively help transform people you do not love.
This is especially true for leaders. If you are in any position of influence, your foundation must be love and care for the people you lead. This is what creates positive, lasting change.
So, the challenge for us is personal. Have you secretly struggled to love a person from a different tribe? Or is it a group of people from another race or background that you find difficult to understand?
The antidote to racism starts here. It begins when we have the courage to pray for them, by name. It grows when we take a small, practical step to show them the love of Christ. This can be a kind word, an act of service, or a note of encouragement, with no strings attached. This is how we take part in God’s great work of healing our divided world.
